In this deed is manifested God's might, and his humility. The law of Moses forbade to touch any leper, but the humble Christ would not despise him, though he was loathsome; and also manifested that he was lord of the old law, and not its slave. In his might he could have healed him with his word, without touching; but he manifested that his touch is very salutary to believers. The leper was a believer, when he cried, "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst cleanse me." Jesus answered, "I will; and be thou cleansed." Verily God's behest is act, as the psalmist said, "He said it, and creatures were made. He commanded, and they were created." In a spiritual sense this leper betokened all mankind, which was foully leprous with divers sins in the inward man; but it inclined to the belief of Christ, and wisely conceived that it could not receive a cleansing of the soul, save through the Lord, who wrought no sin, nor was any guile found in his mouth. Loathsome is the body of the leper with many ulcers and tumours, and with divers scabs; but the inward man, that is the soul, is much more loathsome, if it be seized with divers sins. We should rightly believe in Christ, that he may heal our soul from the ulcers of sins; and we should steadfastly implore his will to that fulfilment. His hand betokens his might and his incarnation. As Christ by the touch of his hands healed the leper, so also he redeemed us from the sins of our souls by the assumption of our flesh; as the prophet Isaiah said, "Verily he took away our diseases, and our pains he himself bare." When he forbade the healed leper not to make it known to any man, he thereby gave us an example that we should not publish our good deeds, but we should shun, with inward {125} heart, vain pride, if we do some little good. Verily we shall be requited with no other reward, if we do good for pride, than with hell-torment; because pride is a deadly sin.